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As a 6,000-year-old indigenous gathering place, Wanuskewin Heritage Park is not only an important archeological site – it is also a powerful symbol for Saskatchewan’s indigenous communities.

As a 6,000-year-old indigenous gathering place, Wanuskewin Heritage Park is not only an important archeological site – it is also a powerful symbol for Saskatchewan's indigenous communities. Earlier this year, international delegates of the World Indigenous Business Forum (WIBF) met here and in nearby Saskatoon to discuss indigenous participation in the economy – a topic that has global relevance as well as local implications.

Milton Tootoosis, who is from the Poundmaker Cree Nation in Treaty Six Territory, sees holding the event in Canada as a historic occasion, especially since it follows the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, whose calls to action include that the "corporate sector in Canada adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving indigenous peoples and their lands and resources."

In Saskatchewan, which has a considerable and growing First Nations and Métis population, Tootoosis has observed a "renaissance, where indigenous people are reviving and rebuilding their culture and value systems," he says. "There has been evidence that our ancestors were self-sufficient, they shared what they had, they traded far and wide. Their economic system, which was very different from today's system, worked well for them."

This changed with the introduction of the western economic model, says Tootoosis, who was also the chair of the WIBF Saskatoon planning committee. "Indigenous people have been marginalized – and still are. They face racism and discrimination, not only here, but throughout the world."

Rosa Walker, president and CEO of the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. (ILDI), the organization responsible for creating the WIBF, has also observed many commonalities among the challenges faced by indigenous people. "We're discovering that as indigenous people, we have so much in common, not only in our relationships with governments and corporations, but also our relationship with the land," she explains. "Indigenous people want to prosper, but at the same time place a high value on cultural identity and the environment."

An economic system where indigenous people can thrive, termed indigenomics by Carol Anne Hilton, a recognized leading First Nation's business entrepreneur of Nuu chah nulth descent, has to be built on sustainability, says Tootoosis.

This message needs to be amplified, especially in light of recent oil spills and extreme weather events, he believes. "People need a reminder that we cannot continue to exploit our lands and pollute the air and water at this rate. If we don't address these issues through sustainable development policies, we are in big trouble," he says.

Tootoosis believes that indigenous people everywhere are working on improving their economic livelihood and are sending the message "that indigenous people are here and want to do business from an indigenous perspective."

Gilles Dorval, the City of Saskatoon's director of aboriginal relations, viewed the event as a powerful example of coming together. "Hosting the event was really a joint effort of the community at the grassroots, academia, government and corporate levels," he says. "Everyone came together, sharing in the passion for empowering and supporting indigenous communities and creating a climate of inclusion," he says.

Tootoosis adds, "We want to bring non-indigenous leaders to the table to share a common vision for moving forward together. We can't do it alone."


This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.

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